Lumber-sorting mechanism.



- D. R. TANNER.

LUMBEH SORTING IVIECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED ocT. 9. 1915.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

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D. R. TANNER.

LUIVIBER SOHYTING MECHANISIVI. APPLICATION FILED 00T. 9. 1915.

LQQQ. Patented Mr. 27, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

i akbomu DANIEL R. TANNER, OF LA GRANDE, OREGON.

LUIVIBER-SORTING- LVIECHANISM.

Application led October 9, 1915.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL R. TANNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at La Grande, in the county of Union and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lumber-Sorting Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in lumber sorters and has todo with a mech* anism of this character which is usually disposed between a lumber delivery conveyer and the lumber stacker, in other words, in receiving relation with respect to the delivery conveyer and in delivery relation to the stacker. In mills employing devices of this character, it is usual to have a plurality of stackers aggregated to form a battery or batteries so that the asserting operation may be effected by a single sorter for delivery to all of the stackers of the battery. I-Ieretofore, sorters of this character have employed a plurality of channels, one for each length of boards to be delivered, and the channels for the boards have terminated adjacent the stacker to which a prescribed length of board was to be delivered. It has been necessary for the operator of the stack er to grasp the delivered boards, turn the board on edge, and steer the board into a particular channel which delivers to a particular stacker. If the battery of stackers was somewhat large, then an equally great number of channels were required, thereby not only increasing the expense but also complicating the ope-ration of the operator and slowing down the rate of delivery.

It is the object of this invention to provide an assorter in which the boards will be delivered from theconveyer in an edge-wise position ready to be grasped by the operator and directed into the proper channel or channels.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a deflector whereby a board delivered by the conveyer into the assorter may be deiiected to an individual conveyer for directing the board to one stacker of the battery which is in advance ofthe channels and which is directly opposite the main delivery conveyer discharging to the assorter. In this connection, the improved deflector also functions to deflect the boards delivered by the main conveyer so that the boards will be delivered into an edge-wise position ready to be grasped by the operator and Specication of Letters Patent.-

Patented Mar. 27, i917..

Serial No. 55,067.

of a certain length to certain stackers ofv the battery located along the channel. In cases where a battery is located on each side of the assorter, then 'I employ a channel for each battery and the operator will direct the boards into the several channels in accordance with the supply required for the stackers of each battery. Thus in accordance with my invention, a single channel 1 could deliver to a battery of stackers of any desired number in accordance with the various lengths of boards used.

Other features of novelty will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be more particularly pointed out and ascertained in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 and Fig. la, combined, show the improved assorter in plan view in itsy relation to the main delivery conveyer and the two batteries of stackers.

Fig. 2 and Fig. 2, combined, show the improved assorter in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a view looking in the direction "of arrow 3 of Fig. l with the deiiector in a position for defiecting the delivered boards on edge.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the deiiector in position to deflect boards onto a conveyer leading tothe first stacker.

Fig. 5 is a plan. view on an enlarged scale showing one of the ejecting mechanisms in the act of ejecting a board from the assorter channel.

Fig. 6 'is a view looking in the direction of arrow 6, of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a spring retainer for holding a directed board against jumping movement out of or away from a channel toward which has it has been directed.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different iigures of the drawings.

' As illustrated, my improved assorter is disposed in a receiving relation with respect to a' lumber delivery conveyer including conveyer chains 1, trained about sprocket wheels 2, mounted on shaft 3. A table 4` is disposed somewhat below the upper lap of the .chains 1 and a platform 5 serves as a stand for the operator. For the purposes of illustration, I have disclosed an assorter which is adapted to deliver boards of ten feet, twelve feet, fourteen feet and sixteen feet length, all of which are delivered to the assorter by the conveyer chains 1.

It is a feature of my invention to dispose the assorter at a sufficient elevation below theend of the delivery conveyer so that the boards will be dropped over the wheels 2 downwardly in an upright edge position on the table4. By means of this construction, the operator is not required to rst grasp the boardand turn the same from a flat position on edge as the board is already on edge before it is grasped by the operator. This is' a distinct saving of time which enables me to supply a greater number of staclrers with a single assorter.

Board advancing rollers-5 are journaled in a manner to project slightly above the table 4 so that when a board is delivered on edge onto the table 4, it will rest upon rollers 5 and as the latter are constantly rotating in a clockwise direction, with respect to Fig. 2, the board delivered on the rollers V5 will be instantly moved forward, and there will be imparted to the board a forward thrust of considerable stress.

At this point, however, I will describe my improved deiiector against which the board strikes when it first drops downwardly over the chains 1 into an edgewise position with respect to the table 4.

My improved deflector, as shown, comprises an arm 6 shown mounted upon an oscillatory shaft 7. Arm 6 is provided with a straight edge 8 which, when the arm is in an upright position, extends vertically from or near one end of one of the rollers 5. Thus the momentmn with which the board is dropped onto rollers 5, will swing the board against deflecting face 8, and the latter will hold the board against tipping to the right of Fig. 1, from an edgewise position, until the board is grasped by the hands of the operator. Thus straight edge face 8 may be termed an abutment face. Said arm is also provided on its other side, with a deflector or conveying-portion which may be in the form of a flange 9. For the short lengths of boards, such as ten foot boards, the stacker may be disposed abreast of or in alinement -with the delivery and conveyer chains 10 for delivery to the first or ten foot stacker.

Now if the deflector 6 is in the position shown in Fig. 4, it will deflect the dropped off boards delivered by the main conveyer onto the conveyer chains 10, and conveyer chains 10 will deliver the ten foot boards to the irst stacker of the battery. Thus it will be seen that my improved deector 6, functions both as an abutment, to keep the boards upright and on edge, and as a deflector or conveyer to shift the boards past the assorter onto the conveyer chains 10.

I will next describe the manner in which my deiector arm 6 is operated.

Shaft 7, on which said arm 6 is mounted, is provided with a link arm 11 which is connected by a linlr 12 with a lever arm 13. Lever arm 13 is preferably formed integral with a manually operable lever 14 and is mounted to rotate about a stud shaft 15. The hand lever 14 is at all times in reach of the operator standing on platform 5, and any suitable locking device may be provided for the lever 14, if desired. Thus the lever 14 may be locked in position shown in Fig. 3, or it may be locked in the position shown in Fig. 4, by any of the usual mechanism. However, I have not shown a locking device for the lever 14 as I do not contemplate actually using a locking device.

Description will next be made of the channel structure through which the boards are advanced to their-various points of disposition or ejection.

My improved channel structure, in the present construction, for delivery to stackers on opposite sides thereof, includes outside channel forming members 16 and 17, the channel member 16 extending up to but not past the nearest conveyerA chain 1, and the channel member 17 extending slightly past the conveyer chain 1. However, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 2, both of the channel members 16 and 17 are appreciably below the wheels 2 and therefore it is the intention to utilize the extremity 18 as a guard against which the boards of longer length, such as the twelve, fourteen, sixteen, and if desired, the eighteen foot boards, will abut when they are dropped onto the rollers 5 in edgewise position. The overlap of the terminal 18 is not such, however, as would obstruct the passage of the shorter or ten foot boards directly onto the conveyer chains 10. Now as the boards drop onto rollers 5', with their rear ends grasped by the operator, their forward ends may be shifted either toward channel member 17 or 16, in accordance with the particular channel through which the board is directed to pass. To hold the board after it is shifted, T provide retaining means which is of the following` construction. An inverted V- shaped steel spring 19 is disposed between the channel forming members 16 and 17 and the first roller 5, and the apex 20 thereof will line up with the dividing block 21, of the inner channel formiiig members 22 and 9,3, which will presently be described. Now

after a board has been dropped into edgewise relation on the rollers 5', the operator will take hold of the left hand end of the board and steer the front hand end toward channel forming members 16 or 17 in accordance with the channel through which the board is to be advanced, and after the board is so adjusted, it will be located upon either one side or the other of the apex 20 of spring 19, so that spring 19 will act to retain the board in such adjustment until the board has been advanced. 1n order to permit spring 19 to collapse, I preferably slot the ends thereof, as indicated at 24, so that they will be adjustably held upon the table 4 by headed pins 25. Thus it will be seen that the retainer can collapse, into a substantially fiat position, if desired, to permit the boards to be shifted on edge, later ally of the retainer to either side of the apex 20, and then the retainer 19 will spring up into the positionshown in Fig. 6, and serve to retain the board in its adjusted position.

The dividing block 21 is connected with the entrance ends of the inner channel forming members 22 and 23, which together with channel forming members 16 and 17, form board channel ways 26 and 27. These two channel ways extend throughout the length of the channel structure and the inner channel forming members 22 and 23 are continuous and uninterrupted, in the present construction. At suitable intervals along the channel structure, board advancing rollers 28 are disposed in sufciently close longitudinal relation with respect to each other, as regards the channel Ways, that even the shortest boards will always be riding upon at least two of said rollers so as to be frictionally advanced thereby. Rotary mo- .tion can be imparted to said rollers, preferably at uniform rates of speed, by any1 means desired, belts 29 being herewith shown as actuating the rollers and` which may be driven in any desirable manner.

Reference will next be made to the first knock olf or ejecting pointof the channel structure, which in the present construction, is designed to eject twelve foot boards. At this point, the channel forming members 16 and 17 are cut away or interrupted so that their terminals 30 and 31 will be spaced apart a distance slightly in excess of the length of a twelve foot board. Skids 32 and 33, lead from opposite sides of this twelve foot ejection point to stackers 34 and 35 which are designed or intended to stack twelve foot boards. Knoclco' or ejecting devices are provided for each channel way and the outside faces of the inner channel forming members 22 and 23 are preferably recessed as indicated more particularly at 36, in Fig. 5, to permit of movement of said ej ecting devices laterally into a knock-off or ej ecting position with respect to their respective channels. As illstrated, I have shown a knock-off device in the form of a cam plate 36 hinged at 37 to rotate about a vertical axis, each plate having an operating arm 38 projecting from shank 39. A spring 40' may be provided for each cam plate 36 normally tending to urge the same into an ejecting position. The ejecting cam plate has an inclined or cammed knock-ofi' portion 41 against which a board, as indicated at 42, will abut and be ejected or forced out of the channel, as indicated in Fig. 5. After the board strikes the knock-off portion 41, it will be deflected out of the channel 27 onto the skids, as illustrated in Fig. 5, to make room Aoff by the plate 36. It will also be noted that the cam plate 36 closes the ,channel way, by extending across the latter, across the channel way, when a board is to be ejected.

I will next describe the means whereby the knock-ofll operation is automatically accomplished.

The operating arm 38 is connected by a link or rod 43 with an operating arm 44 of a trigger bell crank lever which is located in advance of the knock-off 36, with respect to the direction of passage of the boards through the channel. The trigger leven 44 is pivoted to swing about a. shaft 45 and is provided with a trigger end 46 which projects upwardly into the path of the board passing through channels 27 or 26. A spring 47 also may be provided for the trigger lever, if desired, to hold the trigger lever normally in the position shown in Fig. 2.

The ejecting devices for points of ejection of fourteen foot boards to stackers 48 and 49, and also for sixteen foot boardsv to j minals 52 and 53, for the fourten foot knockoil:1 point will be .slightly in excess of the length of a fourteen foot board and likewise the distance between terminals 54 and 55 for the sixteen foot knock-olii' will be slightly in excess in span with respect to a sixteen foot board. It will. thus be seen that provision is made for discharging boards from ten to sixteen feet in lengths, at prescribed points,

to the particular stackers which are intended to stack boards of such length, there being only one ten foot stacker in this particular arrangement.

Now suppose that fourteen foot boards were directed through channel 27, it will be seen that by advancing movement of said fourteen foot board its forward end would first strike trigger lever 46 and move said trigger into the position which the trigger at the fourteen foot knock-olf is disposed. This would shift knock-olf plate 36 out of the path of the forward end of said fourteen foot board and the latter would pass between the gap of abutments 31 longitudinally along the channel 27 and the forward end of the board would pass the right hand abutment 81 before the left hand end of the board had approached the left hand abutment 3l and released the trigger. Jafter the left hand or rear end of the fourteen foot board has passed the trigger 46 the latter would be'free to swing upwardly into an operative position, as shown in Fig. 2, at the twelve foot knock-off section. Thus the fourteen fo-ot board would not be knocked off at the twelve foot knock-off section. At the fourteen foot knock-ofi section I have shown the position which the sixteen foot board would occupy in passing through said section, said board being designated at 56. Now when this sixteen foot board reaches the sixteen foot knock-off section its forward end will first depress the trigger 46 and will retain the same in a depressed position keeping the knock-offl plate 36 out of an operative position until the rear end of the sixteen foot board has released they trigger. The trigger is sufliciently rearwardly disposed with respect to abutment so that the rear end ofthe board will release the trigger before the front end of the board reaches the other terminal 55. Thus the springs will have time to act upon the trigger and the ejector so that the latter will be thrust into the position shown in Fig.' 5, to knock off the sixteen foot board by engaging the front end of the latter because of the fact that the space or span between terminals 55 is slightly in excess of the length of the sixteen foot board and therefore the board which is sixteen feet long can not retain the trigger in a downward or inoperative position long enough to pass thro-ugh this space.

Thus it will be seen that boards of twelve, fourteen, and sixteen feet lengths, can pass through a single channel, as indicated at 27, in any order and that they will automaticallyV be knocked oliI at prescribed longitudinal points along said channel 27. It will be understood that the dimensions of boards which I have given, are merely to illustrate one application of the invention and that I have also illustrated batteries on opposite sides of the channel structure to illustrate the maximum efliciency which could be obtained, and that these specific details are merely illustrative and not essential to my invention as the assorter is capable of rearrangement to lit almost any condition that could be presented.

It is believed that the utility and the advantages of my invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing description and while I have herein shown and described one specific form of my invention I do not wish `to be limited thereto, except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim l. In combination, a lumber channel, means for advancing boards of different lengths on edge lengthwise through said channel and supported by both sides of the latter in upright edge position, and ejecting devices along said channel, each ejecting device comprising aboard ejecting member for engagement by `the board to be ejected and a trigger member controlled by the board passing through said channel, the trigger and ej ecting member of each device being located different distances apart from each other with respect to said devices and corresponding to the lengths of boards conveyed as to eject boards of certain lengths at one point along the channel and boards of another length at another point along the channel, substantially as described.

2. In a means for handling lumber, aI board assorting'device, means for delivering boards sidewise to said device with respect to the travel of the boards through said device, a stacker delivering device in alinement vwith said delivering means, and mechanism for causing the boards delivered sidewise to said asserting device to pass laterally over said assorting device onto said stacker delivering device, substantially as described.

3. In a lumber handling mechanism, a lumber channel provided with a knock-oi'f portion, a roller for advancing a board through said knock-off portion, and a knockoff device for engagement by a board to be ejected and disposed adjacent said roller, said knock-oif device being shaped to transmit the thrust of the board against said device for increasing friction between the board and its advancing roller to thereby positively cause the roller to advance the board against said device sufliciently to cause ejection of the board, substantially as described.

4. In a lumber sorter, in combination with a board delivery means, a lumber receiving deck disposed below the delivery end of said delivery means, a plurality of rollers mounted on said deck and adapted to receive the boards from the delivery means, of a receiving channel adjacent to said delivery means and in alinement With said rollers, and a plurality of branch delivery channels communicating with said receiving channel and so disposed with relation to said receiving channel and receiving deck that boards delivered to the latter may be selectively and manually shunted or directed into said branch delivery channels.

5. In a lumber sorter, a plurality of lumber conveying delivery channels, a receiving channel communicating With said delivery channels, and means for guiding and ad- 15 vancing boards selectively from said receiving channel to saiddelivery channels, said means eomprisiirg` roller members, a supporting deck for the rollers, and upwardly projecting collapsible spring guide means 2o WV. M. ADAIR, C. H. FINN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

